Reference to background art herein is not to be construed as an admission that such art constitutes common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.
Gait irregularities, such as freezing of gait (FOG) or akinesia, can occur in people who suffer from neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. Particularly for sufferers of Parkinson's disease, gait irregularity typically occurs when walking in familiar surroundings and in tight corners or doorways, and typically occurs as a brief unexpected inability to walk. This not only interrupts daily life, but often causes accidents, such as falls.
Research has found that providing a cue, such as an audible or visual cue, can assist in handling, or even overcoming, gait irregularities, in particular freezes of gait. Some devices have been developed that provide cues to aid in overcoming gait irregularities. Typically the devices are turned on, either manually or automatically when motion is detected, and provide continual cues, such as a repetitive sound to assist with regular gait. For example, a metronome type sound may be provided to a patient, typically by an earpiece or small speaker, and the patient utilises the sound to maintain a regular gait. More advanced devices may detect the speed and rhythm of a user and adapt the cues to suit their normal gait.
Unfortunately these devices either only provide the feedback when activated, e.g. when a button is pressed, or the like, or continually provide the feedback until disabled. Both of these systems have disadvantages. For a device which only provides feedback when activated, the user must be aware of the gait irregularity and activate it. This may be difficult, particularly if they have akinesia in their arms or hands, and the cue may not be activated and utilised in time to prevent an accident. In the latter case, of continually providing a cue, the user may be self conscious about how the cue affects those around them, as it may intrude upon others, and they may become accustomed to the cue, meaning it loses effectiveness when really required.
Another disadvantage of known devices is that they often include various pieces which need to be arranged in a particular manner. The pieces are typically corded which can interfere with the user's movement, clothes, accessories, or the like. Furthermore, arranging more than one piece on a user is time consuming and, if arranged incorrectly, the device may fail to be effective, or even not work at all.